Grinding slab and pestle, stone, Hoa Binh culture, c. 18,000 - 7,000 BP.
Grinding slab and pestle, stone, Hoa Binh culture, c. 18,000 - 7,000 BP.
These tools, made from natural pebbles, were used for grinding or rubbing fruits and nuts, and for food processing. The pestle is in the form of a cylinder, and the grinding slab usually has one or two curved sunken surfaces. Concave traces or scratches are often found on the pestle and the grinding slab as evidence of their usage. The use of these tools reflects changes in food processing method, as well as in the economic lives of people who were part of the Hoa Binh culture.